RARELY in recent times has there been such a responsibility placed on a city budget to address the growing challenges Glasgow and our people face.

The cost-of-living crisis is becoming more real by the day, impacting on all our lives but particularly those who are hardest pressed financially. At the same time, we’re now two years into the most traumatic period in Glasgow’s modern history. The pandemic has devastated communities and our economy while also hitting our public services hard.

In these most demanding of circumstances Glaswegians have told us what their priorities are. It was a privilege then to last week lead the SNP city administration in delivering a budget that puts those concerns at its core.  Working across political boundaries with colleagues in the Green Party, this budget supports those most affected by the rise in our cost of living and will assist every neighbourhood in the city to recover from the pandemic.

Using council cash reserves to help protect low-income households, our budget provides £1 million to help vulnerable residents struggling to heat their homes. Fuel poverty affects many different types of households and this fund targets those who need it most.

A further £2m will help residents to access all the incomes and benefits they’re entitled to; support one-parent families and disabled citizens with issues around debt and entering employment; and provide those ‘little extra’ household items like curtains, a picture frame or a lamp that help someone moving on from homelessness make their accommodation into a real home.

Since early 2020 Covid has led to a significant reduction in some council services due to staff absences. The impact of that for most citizens has been most visible on the maintenance and cleanliness of communities so it’s entirely understandable they’d want to see those services prioritised for recovery.

So we’re investing to create over 50 permanent new posts in new ‘street scene’ teams to undertake a rolling programme of neighbourhood deep cleans in every part of the city. This will be in addition to wider street cleansing operations, and the teams will connect into the work of our Neighbourhood Coordinators to ensure communities help identify where work is needed. Removing litter, weeds, fallen leaves and other items, the teams will underpin the post-Covid recovery of local services in every community.

We’re also putting more resources into tackling illegal fly-tipping and other environmental crimes and cracking down on those responsible, while bulk uplift charges have been simplified and reduced for the vast majority who occasionally use this service.

Our community-led £1.5 million Parks and Open Spaces Fund continues for the second year in a row. And I was really pleased to confirm £1m for each of Glasgow’s 23 wards to spend on improving their areas, from pothole and footway repairs to new road safety measures and street furniture. That level of investment can be transformative and communities will have their say about where and how it’s spent.

Elsewhere, we’re investing millions towards preserving our built heritage and to create a Green Economy team who will build on Glasgow’s hosting of COP26 to keep bringing green investment and jobs into the city. And we’re also responding to issues raised first hand with me by staff at cleansing depots to create a new training academy so staff have better opportunities to develop their careers within the council.

I’ve spoken here many times about the political choices we make in Glasgow and Scotland. While the Tories heap austerity and welfare cuts on the most vulnerable, we choose to spend hundreds of millions trying to lift people out of poverty. That involves often difficult decisions and last week’s budget was no exception.

We targeted our resource where it’s needed most. But what was notable about the Labour and Tory budgets was their utter lack of any thoughts or ideas to improve the lives of Glaswegians in this challenging time. It’s as if they have zero interest in genuinely wanting to address this city’s issues, preferring instead political and personal attacks on the SNP to proper policies. Neither has a remotely serious plan for Glasgow’s communities and it showed.

Indeed, when it came to choices, the Tories opted to play to some elements of their support by proposing to cut almost £2million and sacking over 50 teachers who teach English to the thousands of Glasgow schoolchildren for whom it is not their first language. That’s not just dog whistle politics – it’s a klaxon.

And despite Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s recent scaremongering and disinformation about Glasgow’s budget, his party was the only one to cut hundreds of thousands of pounds from our hugely successful holiday food programme. Not even the Tories proposed that.

Labour’s equal pay scandal remains unfinished business and the SNP is working to make sure every person owed money will receive what they’re entitled to as soon as possible. But settling Labour’s historic discrimination already costs us £30m a year. You’d think they’d have the humility to recognise that when they’re pointing the finger at those of us who have been given the task of cleaning up their decades of mess and misrule.

Had Labour treated female workers properly when they were in charge, Glasgow City Council would have £30m a year more today and for the next 30 years. But even with this millstone around our necks, the SNP has still delivered a budget that works for Glasgow, one that puts the whole city on the long road to recovery.

Amid the political cut and thrust of last week’s budget meeting, members of all parties and none set aside their differences to unite in paying their respects to the late Cllr Gary Gray.

Gary passed away suddenly just over a week ago, his death coming as a huge shock to all who knew him. It was so evident from the warmth and grief from across the Council Chamber just how well respected he was. But also how well liked Gary was as a person, someone who didn’t let political differences get in the way of friendships.

All who spoke in his honour and memory did Gary proud and my thoughts remain with his family and Labour colleagues at this difficult time.